Solar Energy Australia - How Solar Works
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| SOLAR PANELS Solar panels are designed to capture the sun’s radiation and convert it into electricity. This is achieved by making cells out of silicon, which acts as a semiconductor. When the sun’s rays hit these cells, the energy is absorbed by the panel and releases free-flowing electrons. They flow into the panel’s metal tips and become an electrical current. The glass plate protects these cells from weather elements such as wind and heavy rain. Solar panels work best when the panels are exposed to the most sun, since most solar panels convert into energy around 22 percent of the radiation captured. Therefore, most homes will place their panels only on one side of the house. INVERTERS The panels are wired into an inverter. Your home’s wiring system can be connected to the inverter, which then converts the solar energy from DC to 240 volts AC. You can also connect solar batteries to the inverter, charging them for later use. Grid tie inverters will also connect with a standard home electricity system so that solar energy can be used to reduce |
energy used from the power company. Solar home systems can even sell solar energy back to the company for profit if the home is using less than it is collecting. LOAD The AC power enters the utility panel in the house. The electricity (load) is then distributed to appliances or lights in the house. UTILITY GRID Once the direct current from the PV array has been converted to grid-compatible alternating current by the inverter, it flows through a meter and into the public utility grid. METERING The electricity produced by the solar power system is fed directly to the grid via a gross feed revenue meter. The “gross” meter shows readings of total power production from the system which is indicated on your electricity invoice with a credit. |
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